Metropolitan Agriculture and its implication on China

IAMA Conference June 9-14, 2012, Shanghai, China

Dr. Xiaoyong Zhang, xiaoyong.zhang@wur.nl

Wageningen University and Research Centre

Content:

Concept: metropolitan agriculture Trend of urbanisation The linkage between urban with agriculture Cases in China and in Netherlands Challenge questions for China

Concept: Metropolitan Agriculture Type Focus Main actor Orientation Scale

Subsistence farming

Subsistence Rural poor Own field Small, rural

Traditional agriculture

Production efficiency

Farmers Next link in production chain

Medium-large, peri-urban

Urban agriculture Subsistence/self consumption Hobby gardens multifunctional farming

Urban poor Urban middle class

• Own field • Some

integration with urban ecosystem

• education

Small Intra-urban

Metropolitan agriculture

Production efficiency Multiple value creation

Agricultural entrepreneurs

• Market oriented

• Full integration in total value chain & food system

Medium-large, Intra-urban/peri-urban

Elaboration in subsistence and traditional agriculture

Subsistence farmer:

input market distribution production processing

Traditional agriculture:

Elaboration in metropolitan agriculture

Livestock farming

(co-)fermentation

gas-engine

vegetables- growing

fertilizers

import of basic fodder

livestock

thicken

composting

slaughterhouse

biogas

leaves loss

vegetables

electricity nitrogen concentrate for agriculture

meat

Import of co-products

drying digestate

urine fraction

animal by - products

electricity

feed- production

mushroom growing

mushrooms

heat

heat

CO 2

heat

compost

solid manure

CO 2

heat Co-digestion plant

饲养场

(co-)发酵

燃气机

蔬菜种植

肥料

进口基础 饲料

L家畜禽

肉鸡

堆肥

屠宰场

生物气体

落叶

蔬菜

电能 氮集中供农业生产

肉类

进口副 产品

干燥 digestate

尿部分 动物副产品 -

电

饲料 加工

mushroom growing

食用菌

heat

热能

CO 2

热能

混合肥料

固体粪

CO 2

热能 Co-消化植物 plant

Elaboration in metropolitan agriculture

Urbanization trend: Globally

Source: world urbanisation prospects, 2005

China urbanisation

People, people and still people....

TOP 10 Megacities in China

Linkage: urbanization and agriculture

Li Keqiang, vice Premier of the State Council:

‘The process of Chinese urbanization goes hand in hand with agriculture modernization.’

Diversification of demand in Metropoles

Agropark: An innovation in horizontal and vertical chain integration

Spatial clustering of different agro-production chains Application of the C2C principle: waste is a valuable

resource Spatial combination of agro- and non-agro functions

(buildings, industrial and city waste, etc.). Scale increase through industrial production and

processing Reduction of transport and by doing this: reduction of

veterinary risks Essence: clustering offers conditions for sustainable

development of agriculture and food supply

Chinese cases

MoA perceives modern agriculture as: ● Large scale ● Mechanization ● Standardization ● Industrialization

Wish that agricultural park, demonstration zones,

science and technology parks, etc., can help the process Main promoters: Ministry of Agriculture (MoA) and

Ministry of Science and Technology (MoST).

Objectives of agropark in China:

Ensuring food security and safety Introducing and demonstrating new varieties, new

technology, and new facilities Incubating modern farmers (nurturing, training) Multifunctionality of agriculture (ecologic protection,

leisure, tourism, etc). Scientific innovation between industry, university and

research institutes

Typology of agricultural parks/zones

Food security focused zones: grain, cotton, oil & sugar. Located in major favorable production areas (优势农产品区) Vegetable basket focused zones: vegetables, fruits and

flowers. Located in major cities. (大城市区) Unique local focused zones: silk, herbs, tea, etc. located

in less developed areas. (特色农产品区).

Development status

By MoA: ● 2010: first verified agricultural demonstration park

numbered 50 ● 2012: second verified agri. Demo. Park total 101.

By MoST:

● 27 verified parks in 2010 ● 15 verified parks in 2002 ● 21 verified parks in 200

Provincial level: 406 (1999 data); county level: more

than 3000 (2002 data)

Chinese Case 1: The Yangling Agricultural Hi-tech Industries Demonstration Zone

位于中国陕西省 Located in Shaanxi Province 占地8.3万亩 Covers 5500 ha Industrial distribution

● Modern agricultural demonstration park ● Low-carbon agriculture-related industries park ● Grain and oil logistic park ● Feed industries park ● Science and education industries park

Case 2: Shanghai Sunqiao Modern Agriculture Development Zone

Founded in 1994 with planning area of 4 square kilometers 六大产业Six Industries

● 种子种苗产业 Seeds and Seedlings

● 温室工程安装与制造产业 Manufacture

and Installation of Green Houses

● 设施农业产业 Agricultural Production

with Facilities

● 农产品加工产业 Processing and

Marketing of Agricultural Products

● 生物技术产业 Biotechnology

● 旅游观光产业Sightseeing Tours and

Education on Popularizing Science

and Technology

Dutch case 1: Greenport Venlo • Serving 7 million

Germans • Greenhouse area, • Consolidation centre • Large pig farms • Large chicken farm • Large dairy farm • Harbour • Serving a metropolitan

market of 7 million German consumers.

Case 2: Merging between agro-industry and greenhouses: Biopark Terneuzen

Case 3: Agriport A7

• Centre for growing vegetables, agribusiness industry and logistics, 30 minutes from Amsterdam

• Primary production: – Large scale glasshouses : 500 ha growing to 1.000 ha – Open field crops : 40.000 ha

• Vegetables industry, logistics and services – Business park: 70 ha

• To be added – closed fish production and

processing – ICT-server centre

Comparison between Dutch and Chinese cases

Dutch Chinese

Initiator Private sectors look for each other (organically grown)

Chinese government promoting (designed)

Chain integration

Best vertical and horizontal integration within and between chains

Demo, show case, mostly loosing connections

Scale Handful of large parks Thousands parks, most small

Identification Each has a unique character Similar amongst each other

Challenge questions

How to address these challenges facing Chinese metropolitan agriculture?

● Lack of economical viability ● Balance between commercial production and

recreation/agro-tourism ● Why is the chain integration on the Chinese

agroparks so low? ● The balance of individual companies within the

parks between autonomy and interdependence.

Thanks

谢谢!!! Contribution from my colleagues Peter Smeets, Madeline van Mansfeld, and Willie van den Broek is acknowledged.